The United States, as always, will be a factor affecting EU-Russia ties, analysts say.

The eastward expansion of NATO, together with the planned deployment of a U.S. missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic, has been a constant source of Russian complaints.

In addition, the EU's eastward expansion has further strained the nerves of the Russians.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, has proposed the launch of an "Eastern Partnership" with Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Armenia to help the former Soviet republics move closer to the EU and to safeguard energy security. The region is traditionally regarded as Russia's backyard.

Another stumbling block for the advancement of EU-Russia relations is the internal disunity among EU members, each of which has its own set of foreign policies concerning Russia.

Aside from Poland and Lithuania, Britain, Sweden and some other Baltic nations have also tried to block negotiations with Russia at different stages for various reasons.

Cooperation needed

Resuming negotiations with Russia is in keeping with EU's energy, economic and political interests, EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Oct. 21 while reviewing Russia-EU ties in the European Parliament.

The EU has a stake in the continued growth of the Russian economy, she told European lawmakers, describing the EU-Russia partnership as "one of the most challenging but one of the most important of our times."

"On the one hand we see a complex web of joint activities and interwoven interests. On the other we see the backdrop of events in Georgia."

Russia, the EU's third most important trading partner, "is an important emerging market right on our doorstep that offers opportunities for EU businesses, notwithstanding the effects of the present financial crisis," she said.

The EU, a major investor in Russia, accounts for 80 percent of its cumulative foreign investment, making Russia one of the largest holders of euro-denominated assets in the world.

Terming energy security "a key component" of the EU-Russia relationship, Ferrero-Waldner pointed out that EU member states "are major buyers of Russian energy products and this is unlikely to change in the short to medium term."

"Even more importantly, Russia is a key geopolitical actor, whose constructive involvement in international affairs is a necessary precondition for an effective international community," she added, citing Russia's engagement in Iran, the Middle East, Afghanistan, the Balkans and elsewhere.

Pursuing negotiations for the new PCA with Russia is the best way "to pursue our own interests, and make sure our concerns are listened to," said the commissioner.

"In all these areas, cooperation is not always easy, but we need to continue."

(Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2008)